Judgement Day

“Reproof should not exhaust its power upon petty failings.” -Samuel Johnson

Who would want to go to work if they were called a failure each day? Not me!

Why would a student want to go to school if they were given poor grades each day? Students who are struggling is school, who are at risk, who have learning disabilities or emotional issues that prevent them from performing at grade level are subjected to grades that label them as ‘disappointments’. No wonder there are so many disciplinary problems on campus! How could a child continue to feel worthwhile when presented by  red-marked, low-grade, records of their failings.

In order to provide a sense of accomplishment and pride for my students, I modify and individualize their tests and assessments. For a comprehension check, some students are allowed to give an oral report. Others may be presented sentence frames where they can ‘fill in the blank’, and they may even be provided a word bank. Some students have only 3 questions to answer, while others have 10. The rest of the class may be asked to research answers from the text, or write short paragraphs from their notes. What form the assessment takes is based on what the student is capable of, based on teacher observation and student work (from their current portfolio – not their previous scores or, heaven-forbid, their standardized tests).

Grading on a sliding scale like this guarantees student success. It provides a process of growing and garnering knowledge. A child might start with sentence frames, and move into self-authored writing over the course of the semester. This creates a feeling of accomplishment and pride. If grades are used to show what a student knows, rather than what they do not know, the grades become gifts to the learners.

In all the years I have tailored tests in this manner there has NEVER – as in not a single time ever - been a complaint from a student. Teachers predict the children that receive the more labor intensive, long form tests will belly ache and whine and ask why so-and-so only has half as much to do. But I conference with the class, and explain the different assessments, and therefore each child knows why they get the test they get. My experience has been that once I present a test that appears harder to one than the test of a neighbor, with a simple aside of, “I know you can do this, you have really improved in your work” , the recipient of the tough test goes right to work without a grudge. And the students who get the abbreviated tests then seem compelled to progress to the higher, harder levels of testing.

I like to be challenged on the job almost as much as I like to be appreciated for the work I do. I assume students like the same blend of challenge and appreciation. Carefully tailored testing can provide this combo, and lay a foundation for success in the classroom.

Spell It Out

My personal spelling guru can be found at: http://www.timrasinski.com/

In order to reach a diversity of learning styles and ability levels I implement individualized lessons. With spelling lessons I usually give the class a list of 12 words. These words might be based on vowel sound rules, or particular diphthongs, or they might be pragmatic, vocabulary words or academic language examples. Recently I gave a list of math terms for weekly review, starting with smaller words such as add and sum, and increasing the letters and difficulty through product to multiplication. The students work with these words for an entire school week, with word search and crossword activities, a Bingo game, hangman, and more traditional spelling sentences and definition work. All students get and study all 12 words, even though some students might not be expected to spell them all correctly by the end of the week. Some students start out the year focused on the beginning letter sounds for their spelling list, and that is all I assess. Some students are only assessed for three or six words. Many get phonemic pronuciation for individual letters  as the oral exam is given on Friday. What continues to surprise and please me is the students who come in with pre-kindergarten level letter and word recognition start to write and remember their spelling words. By Friday's test time, the majority of the class, even those who struggle with self-authored writing, can score 80 to 100 percent on their assessments. Creating thesespelling assignments takes some planning and time, but it's worth the work when those high scores are handed to beaming students.

Making the Grade

Grades are relative and subjective. Yes, it is black and white that 2 + 2 = 4, but grades are based on so many factors - or I believe they should be.

I am a special education teacher. My students range in age from 10 to 13. The 4th, 5th and 6th graders have reading ranges from above grade level to pre-kindergarten. How can I accurately grade their reading fluency, decoding or comprehension? It doesn't make sense to have a one-size-fits-all text, because each individual student is at a markedly different level of ability.

In the majority of districts I have worked with, the curriculum is purchased for instruction of mandated grade level standards. The language arts, math, social studies and science texts cover specific targeted content. * The reading levels and interest levels are marketed and developed for a homogenous grouping of learners, though who these learners are remains a mystery. Fact is, text books are big business, and that business is to ‘sell’ success on standardized tests across the U.S. *http://www.teachersmind.com/Textbooks.html

Presented with materials they can't access can be debilitating to struggling learners. Modifying and individualizing the curriculum is a task that presents itself daily. I will go into some detail on how I have adapted lessons over the years, starting with spelling.

Bribes

Another area of cost I incur as I teach is the price of the prize. I drop dough on stickers, suckers, and Sponge Bob books as a means of motivation and behavior management.  I bribe, I admit it.

Intrinsic motivation is a beautiful thing. According to Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge), “Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself”. Wouldn’t it be spectacular if 4^th grade students were drawn to fractions like they are to  pizza, or if 6^th graders enjoyed writing spelling sentences as much as they did texting their friends? But my experience has been the state standards for education in math and language arts do not entice, engage or even enter the consciousness of my student body unless there is an external motivator in place – be it a grade or a gummy worm.

 “Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they believe they have the skill that will allow them to be effective agents in reaching desired goals.” (wiki again) I teach special education. My students face a plethora of challenges that stand in the way of their academic success. Hearing and vision problems, processing disorders, specific learning disabilities, other health impairments and behavioral disorders all impede their progress. During the weeks of Standardized Testing, my class is a pitiful collection of frustrated, angry and depressed children, acting out or slipping into apathy as the days drag on and their spirits get deflated. I can’t afford to bank on intrinsic motivation.  I need to pay it forward with cookies and cartoons. A well placed KitKat can alleviate a looming tantrum.


During the course of the day I provide snacks. Pretzels, carrot sticks, cubes of cheese, and chunks of watermelon are distributed and devoured around 10am. Most of my student body is bussed to school. They leave home before 7am, and might have time for some cafeteria food prior to school starting at 8am. Two hours into the day, shoulders start to slump, quarrels start to rise and attention goes out the proverbial and literal window. Snack Time! Popcorn breaks help us all get back to a place of peace. This buys some time to teach – at least until the next food crisis at noon when it’s time to break for lunch.

Grades are tricky in special ed. The students may make great gains during the school year, say, gaining two grade levels in reading fluency. But if they are 5^th graders who started at a first grade reading level and progressed to a third grade level, they will still score far below basic according to their peers. This is disheartening, to say the least. Classroom certificates and awards help. Stickers and prizes also help. I tell them it’s their ‘paycheck’. I mean, I love teaching, but I want to get a salary. So if my students are working toward their goals I believe a ‘token economy’ is a good way for them to get ‘paid'. So there is always a stash of stuff read to distribute in my classroom. I shop gladly for these ‘teaching’ supplies. I consider the cost of such treats as money well spent… although I wouldn’t mind getting reimbursed.
Maybe a tax write-off?

Pretty Is As Pretty Does.

It costs hundreds of dollars – out of pocket – to decorate and maintain my classroom every year. I believe it’s a sound investment. My classroom is cleaner, more decorative and better appointed than the majority of homes my students live in. I know this to be true because the schools I teach at usually participate in Home Visit Programs. These H.V. programs support staff attempts to meet with families in their home at least once a year. This is a great way for teachers to forge a deeper social connection with their student’s families. For some parents who might have transportation or mobility issues, it’s the ONLY way to connect and meet in person. Going on a Home Visit is a great way to experience family dynamics and to create a bond with the family. It also allows me to state with assurance that my classroom most often exceeds the home in presenting an attractive, temperate and safe environment.

This matters: the students need to feel supported, honored and secure. A classroom that is clutter-free, spacious, comfortable and well-appointed lets the learner know this is our special space, our home for learning, our nurturing nest. And it works. I have the anecdotal records and staff input to support my belief that class room environment dictates student behavior and attitudes. I say, “Happy classrooms beget happy students.”

 “Just as it’s important to define our beliefs and align our practices, it’s important to create classroom environments that reflect our beliefs.” http://blog.stenhouse.com/

Pack Rat

There are NO BACKPACKS allowed in my classroom. This is something I explain to students and their parents from day one. I write it out, send it home, and have kids and their folks sign off on it every year. And every year, it makes all the students grumpy and some of the parents angry. I forewarn the front office, and I set time aside to conference about this classroom policy. Invariably by the second week of school it is no longer issue.

The origins of my anti-backpack policy started as a grass-roots campaign. During the first years I worked as a teacher I was also the parent of several school aged children. We had back pack issues in our house. The boys in particular were infamous for losing homework, gaining other pals’ toys and secreting trash in the pack that qualified as hazardous waste. I would do a weekly purge of crumpled papers, broken pencils and pens, misc. school supplies, stinky socks and petrified food stuffs (a hot dog from Tuesday? GROSS!). Something had to give, and it was my patience.

So, starting at home, I began my STAMP OUT BACK PACKS agenda. I sent notes to teachers, asking for a lighter load to be instituted. I went to the school and voiced my complaint against back packs to administrators. I confiscated my children’s packs, and replaced them with plastic grocery bags. All of these actions disenfranchised me from the school staff, and mortified my own kids. Plus, nothing changed. The books were still assigned as daily homework, my children still stuffed and mangled and misplaced what they were given and the bags tore or broke, necessitating rides from me to and from school, because the messy, heavy loads made walking too difficult. The backpacks were redistributed at home, and I increased my backpack cleansing ritual from weekly to daily. This helped quite a bit, and my kids became lighter packers and more conscience carriers. Except for my youngest son, who continues to be a most industrious and committed, as well as beloved, pack rat.

When I first began teaching at a middle school in Arizona. I watched a daily parade of students hunched over like a Sherpa, bearing the weight of their packs as they trudged across campus. I took to weighing some of their packs, and found a few that topped 30 pounds. I called in a friend, a chiropractor by trade, who gave a presentation on the potential harm and injury hauling such loads could befall a young skeletal system. There was exactly no change in the student body after receiving this information. They seemed to take some perverse pride in competing with one another as to who could manage schlepping the biggest load.

Over the next few years, I also came to realize how much the staff contributed to the tonnage of materials the students carried. The average math, language arts of social studies book weighs two or three pounds. Drop a few of those in a back pack, add the proverbial three ring binder, agenda, Phys. Ed. supplies, water bottle and smuggled trading cards, and kids that weigh 115 pounds soaking wet are lugging a quarter of their body weight across the campus. Why, I wondered, should the students need to tote their texts back and forth daily? Why not a worksheet or a couple of pages of notes or even a zeroxed section of the book, rather than the book itself? It would save backs, and money, too (How many of those texts disappeared as the year wore on? Quite a few. Who had to pay for them at the close of the year? If the parents didn’t, the school had to.)

Also, there continued to be the problem of storage; where would these backpacks reside at school? Most campus lockers had been torn out (due to drug and weapon issues), and so the packs came to class and sat about in hulking masses, making foot traffic in between desks nigh impossible. The couldn't be stored outside due to theft, and if they were relegated to the back of the class there was a constant stream of students moving from desk to pack and back with items they 'had to have' in the middle of instruction. Oh, and all that stuff that had been stashed in lockers, causing threat to limb and law? That stuff was now in the classroom! I confiscated dozen of electronic games and gizmos, but more troublesome were matches, cigars, porn magazines, pipe bomb supplies, stolen prescription drugs, pipes for crack and a baggie of pot - in a sixth grade class!

Finding no good purpose to the use of backpacks and my subsequent banishment of them may cause a ruffle of irritation at the outset of the school year, but I feel it pretty much guarantees a safer, cleaner, healthier classroom and student body - literally.

No Nest is Good Nest

The view from here.

When I sit down at my desk, which is .... well, never, but if I were to sit down at my desk I would want to see a well-organized, brightly lit, colorful and inviting space. Rather than having the room filled with junk and STUFF, I want to have it filled with music, plants, art and students who are engrossed in projects. Some pets would be nice, too. To this end I am a ruthless 'cleaner, straightener and thrower away of things' person. I also have some quirky methods to keep crap from encroaching into class.

Clutter = Children. Since kids are well oiled machines for producing chaos and waste, how does a teacher keep up a clean working space? One method I have found most effective is to banish desks. This seems counter-intuitive; if you take away a storage area for student materials and supplies, the materials and supplies will overtake the room! That has not been my experience.

I initially replaced desks with work tables in the 1990’s, when I worked at a charter school that focused on whole group and co-operative learning. We clumped kids and emphasized team-building. I couldn’t help but notice how much more readily students shared resources using this model. Cubbies in the back of the class housed the texts, extra paper and worksheets. There were table supplies in baskets, and every one had equal access to all the necessary materials. Students didn’t hoard or vandalize supplies as readily. There was more space to work and less trash to pick up. This became my classroom set up of choice, and most administrators have been very supportive. All custodians LOVE it!

Desks remain the bane of my class climate. Whether it is a student or teacher desk, they represent a trap - of mess, proprietorship, isolation and bad housekeeping. An awful lot of STUFF can fit into a small desk – hiding what's needed, spilling out at the most inconvenient of times. Nix ‘em.

Rat's Nest

Organization is good for the soul. I am genetically pre-determined to be a de-clutter fiend. It is essential to my very spirit that my surrounds are neat and tidy, with a place for everything and everything in its place. Of course, the fewer ‘everythings’ there are, the easier the job of clearing clutter is. This flies in the face of the average classroom, which is filled to overflowing with backpacks, sweatshirts, folders, texts, teacher’s manuals, charts, graphs, posters, science equipment, student work, art supplies, worksheets to be done, worksheets to be graded, worksheets to be posted…

You get the idea. Most teachers’ rooms look like segments of the A&E television show, Hoarders. Seriously, I get anxious just walking in the door. I have been placed in rooms where there are no surfaces untouched; every counter and desk and each wall from ceiling to floor covered with STUFF. On the floor, boxes and bags and crates and stacks of STUFF! On the teacher’s desk, months of ungraded papers, piles of tardy slips and attendances notes that should have been turned in, even half eaten lunches. STUFF!!

I can’t think straight with all that stuff in the way, and I figure that there’s a population of students that feel the same way. So my first task in any room I work in is to un-stuff the heck out of the space we will be working in. If the teacher is coming back, I box up everything and tuck it away. If I have inherited the room, the dumpster is my friend. I will stay for hours clearing and cleaning the classroom so that, when I am done, there will be space in which to think and breathe and be. Ahhhh.

My Nightmare. Twitch...

A Fish Bowl

One of the ways I insure I will be happy to go to work each day is by creating an inviting, attractive classroom in which to teach. Clean and tidy, bright and spacious, uncluttered and comforting are qualities I strive to maintain in my class space. I also find it soothes the students to keep things 'status quo'; it can be upsetting to certain students when changes in lay-out, furniture placement and focus points are altered.

BUT! Sometimes discomfort is a necessary aspect of classroom management.

Years ago I learned a great behavior modification technique for student behavior from the most unlikely source years. I was at a pet store, holding a baggy with the remains of an expensive fish, and asking for help at the aquarium station. I explained to the employee of the pet store that every time I introduced a new fish into the tank at home, the current tank residents set upon it, attaching and molesting it - to death. What could be done, I asked. This is the advice I received in a brochure.

"Rearrange decorations in the aquarium before the introduction to distract existing fish and remove established territories. This will help the new fish by putting it on equal ground as new territories are developed by all tank-mates."

I bought a new fish, took it home, rearranged the heck out of my aquarium, put the new fish in .... and, no problem. All the fish swam about, checking out their 'new' digs, and existing in perfect harmony.

TA DA!!

A few months later, I was told by the office staff a new student was being enrolled in my class. It was late in the year, and the rest of my students had been together for months, establishing their turf and pecking order. My heart sank. I knew the new addition would disrupt the class dynamics and create tension. I also was pretty sure the new student would be uncomfortable, nervous and most of all picked on by their peers. While I never saw a new student literally bit, as a new fish in an aquarium would be, I had witnessed students chewing up the newcomer's self-esteem and gnawing on their self-doubts.

Why not? I stayed late after school that day and rearranged the room. I moved the teacher's desk, the plants, the music center, the reading area and the bulletin board. I changed the seating chart. I even put new music on the CD player. The next morning all the students filed in. It was a brand new class for one, and a different class for the rest. The day went, well, swimmingly!

I swear, it worked! No assimilation problem day one. I have kept at this practice for over a decade, and it always yields positive results. It keeps the 'old' fish just unsettled enough to let the 'new' fish catch up.

Who knew?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

It’s off to work I go!

I am numbered in the lucky count of those who WANT to go to work on Monday's. I like my job, I look forward to each day, I am glad to go. Teaching is more than a career for me; teaching is my calling. When I was a wee spry, I would gather up my dolls for make-believe time. I didn't play house - I played school. The dolls were the students, and I was their teacher. Sometimes the family pets got to be in my class, as well. I read to them and guided them and sometimes even scolded them (as cats were particularly poor at staying put and attending lessons).

The old yarn stating the three best things about teaching are June, July and August doesn’t hold for me. The yawn of a summer break makes me feel jumpy and unmoored. I typically tutor or teach summer school, rather than take a break. Being in the company of children is what I crave, and when I am not teaching, I find ways to volunteer or get involved with kid activities. I have assisted with programs for the American Cancer Society, Audubon Society, Project Wild, Y.M.C.A., numerous museums and public park organizations to develop and present educational activities. I became a facilitator at a Ropes Course (in my 40’s!), and a docent at wilderness projects. Every year I undertake a different training program so I can add to my knowledge and broaden my instructional horizons. This is key to maintaining my zest for career – being a perpetual learner and a dedicated student helps me be a better and more enthusiastic teacher.

                                                                  

“Education is the foundation of a free and fulfilled life.” UNICEF, 2011

Rose Colored Glasses

My Dad used to say there were three kinds of people; the realist, the pessimist and the optimist. Picture a Christmas morning; a child creeps down the stairs to discover a big wrapped package under the tree. With gusto, the child shreds off the wrapping paper and tears open the box to discover - horse manure! The realist child would respond, "Manure. Well, that will help grow a garden in the Spring." The pessimist would throw up their hands and holler, "All I ever get for Christmas is crap!" The optimist would just jump in the box and start digging, exclaiming, "There's bound to be a pony in here somewhere!"

I am an optimist. I have been contemplating this quote from the great Mark Twain: ‎"We believe that out of the public schools grows the greatness of a nation." It seems there is a lot of derisive talk about the public education system and how it is failing in our country. But what if it is our country that is failing our schools? What if, just for a moment, we stop looking with a jaundiced eye at “the problem with public education”*, and take some time to look at the successes.

Last year in America, 55.5 million children attended a public school in America (U.S. Census, 2011). Those students were gifted free instruction in fully equiped facilities that provided curriculum, teachers, furniture, educational materials, food, water, and other amenities. Many of the students received clothing, counseling and medical services. Students in America are privy to education, nourishment, protection, and nurturing that children in other nations have no access to. In a report dated 10/11 by UNICEF, there are more than 130 million school age children who are growing up in the developing world without access to basic education. We citizens of the United States can count ourselves among the fortunate; our children have a place to go on weekdays where they can be out of the elements, fed and provided for. Oh, and they get to learn, too!

*Google the phrase and get 497,000,000 responses

Then and Now

The journey from crabby student to happy teacher took decades, and was guided by a sense of destiny and sheer determination.  I had great role models along the way; educators that showed me what I wanted to be when I grew up – and those that showed me what I must never become. As a small but observant student in primary grades I studied my teachers, my fellow classmates and the climate and culture of each class I attended. A puny social scientist gathering data: What is working here? What would I change? As previously stated, I found the décor lacking and unimaginative. I knew there needed to be more color, art, light and beauty in the room. I believed music played softly would set a better mood. I sketched plans for a more relaxed seating/working arrangement and designed layouts for art and theater centers. This was a lot of work for a kid (and goes a long way toward explaining why I never knew what page we were on in math).

In the classes I teach today, there are area rugs, plants, paintings and baskets. Classical music greets students as they enter in the morning. Snacks are provided, as are stickers, prizes, gifts and picture books. Games are played daily. Costumes are devised and theater is staged. New activities are started every 20 - 30 minutes so there is no sense of purgatory in a desk. As the teacher, I encourage, direct, and correct as I move around the room constantly. Time is spent outside, as well, reading under trees or taking walks around campus. Fieldtrips are planned monthly. Art is part of the curriculum. And fun and laughter is encouraged, always. I teach in the classroom atmosphere I craved as a student all those years ago.

It Starts At Home

I may have been ill-prepared for assimilating into the machinations of the public school system, but by golly I was advanced in liberal arts education by the age of six. Thanks to my free-thinking, almost bohemian parents, I was frequently exposed to travel (in and out of the U.S.), music (jazz, classical and popular), art (galleries and museums) and food (french, asian and mexican dishes were often prepared at home). I could read, quote poetry and paint with brushes. I could sing harmonies. I played (albeit poorly) an accordion and a recorder. I danced in ballet classes. I attended plays and musicals and concerts. I could shoot a gun. I swam, and was perfecting a racing dive. I was a bit precocious, admittedly, but I had all the skills - or so my family believed - to succeed in the world of academia. What went wrong, and why did I struggle so in school?

Perhaps it was simply my ramped up nervous system that was to blame, but I tend to believe it was the system that failed me. There was no way to gracefully ease this beatnik baby into the mainstream stodginess of Maricopa Elementary School without a struggle. How could a kid go from romping through the irrigated fields, catching and releasing crayfish while belting out show tunes, onto the asphalt blacktop and into the 'straight line, hands at side, no talking' model of 1st grade without feeling a great deal of resistance and downright dissatisfaction. Nope, I had experienced too much freedom, too many rich adventures and too broad a background of adventure to contain myself within the walls of Miss Sandoval's class of twenty-three students. I was a miserable girl from 8:10 until 2:30, each and every weekday.

So what if I had to be sad in school. Once the final bell rang, or Saturday morning dawned, or best of all Summer Break arrived, I could once again rush into the University of Life. My folks provided me SO much in the way of cultural and artistic experiences, and I am forever grateful. I am forever richer for their parenting style, which could have been riffed off the words of Ruth (1:16-17) ... for whither we goest, thou will go; and where we lodgest, thou will lodge: my people shall be thy people, and our life, thy life". There was no kid vs. grownup lifestyle. Looking back I realize I wouldn't trade my upbringing for the world.

Care and Feeding of a Little Soul

1. Protect the heart. Make sure there are kind words and easy smiles from adults. Low voices, please - no yelling if possible. Compliment often.

2. Support the body. Comfortable chairs, pillows, and rugs are a must. Sunlight and music help, too. Moving frequently suggested. Must have snacks!

3. Feed creativity. Lots of crayons and paints and paper help. Blocks and toys are good. Sand boxes, containers and running water are nice as well. Read stories that are funny and wise. Encourage singing.

4. Grow the mind. Place real things in little hands for counting up and down. Show real things growing and living for science lessons. Provide real pictures and maps and videos and flags for social science. Allow real demonstrations of literature, such as guest readers, plays, reader's theater for language. Play games; tic tac toe, word search, hang man, memory cards, scrabble, boggle, twister and board games all teach in the most subtle and wonderful ways.

5. Honor the child. Place of picture of you, yourself, up in the classroom. Remember your own little soul. Teach the students as you wish you had been taught; with kindness and love and appreciation. No matter how many years we put between our childhood and our grownup-ness, the little soul resides inside. Keep protecting, supporting, feeding, growing, and honoring your little soul and you will be a wonderful mentor to all your students. This is my theory, and this is how I strive to teach today. My goal is to keep my little person, along with all the children in my care, alive and thriving in the classroom on a daily basis.

Ahead of our Time

After I was talked down from the tree branches I had escaped to on the 1^st day of school and returned to class, it became apparent I would have to find a way to survive at school. Twitchy, jumpy, lost and confused were adjectives that described me that first year in class. It was like being dropped into a foreign land, where language and culture and customs were a complete unknown. There was no program, no plan, no label for me in the 1950’s. In the early 1960s, the behaviors of excessively inattentive  children were thought to be due to "Minimal Brain Dysfunction". At the end of the decade, though, the name of this syndrome was changed to "Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood". In 1980, the disorder was given its current name of “Attention Deficit Disorder”, with or without hyperactivity.”  (http://EzineArticles.com/217254)

I am SO glad the only behavior that was really documented in the years of my schooling  was inattentiveness. If I had been diagnosed with a ‘disorder’, however, it would not have changed my placement in public school. During the years I was in elementary, middle and high school, there were no special education classes per se. In the system I attended, children with hearing and vision handicaps, children in wheel chairs, children with emotional and mental disabilities were all in classes with their ‘normal’ peers. We were a truly diverse population of learners. One teacher, one text per subject, and all levels of abilities in one room - doing what they could to succeed in school. Seemed like a crazy mix at the time. Who could have guessed decades later I would be a teacher that promoted such classrooms  - a champion of full inclusion classes as the next, right approach for special education students in public education.

Pop Quiz

SO, if you ever had a kid, or if you were once a kid yourself, think back and ponder this:

Did your child (or you, as a child) sometimes struggle to follow instructions or become bored with a task after only a few minutes (unless doing something enjoyable)? Do you ever notice how small people do not seem to listen when spoken to, or they daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly. Perhaps they have difficulty learning something new? Are they not easily distracted, missing details, forgetting things, and don’t little folk often have difficulty focusing on one thing, frequently switching from one activity to another?  All of these these traits are familiar. I call these behaviors “actions of a typical child”.  Based on personal experience and observation, I would venture that most normal squirrel chasing, ball bouncing, rock throwing, wall coloring tots fit the attributes that are listed above.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports these traits as evidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Go online, search ADHD, and you might read this from the NIMH:

ADHD Can Be Mistaken for Other Problems "Parents and teachers can miss the fact that children with symptoms of inattention have the (ADH) disorder because they are often quiet and less likely to act out. They may sit quietly, seeming to work, but they are often not paying attention to what they are doing. “ (NIMH ) Children who have symptoms of inattention may:

· Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new

· Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities

· Not seem to listen when spoken to

· Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly

· Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others

· Struggle to follow instructions.

· Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another

· Have difficulty focusing on one thing

· Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable

If I were whisked back to first grade, and if I then had to score myself on this ADHD checklist, it would be one of the few A Plus, 100% grades I earned back at Maricopa Elementary. How about YOU? Would you qualify, too?

50's Bliss, Interupted

I grew up in the zenith of the white, middle class American dream. The 1950's in my neighborhood meant newly constructed homes (with or without picket fences), working dads and stay at home moms, and kids free to roam around the block to play cowboys and indians or ride bikes to the corner store and buy penny candy, trailed always by a couple of off the leash pet dogs. Some neighbors had color TVs, and some had big stereo consoles, and some even had stand-up pools in the back yard! I was so happy!

And then I started school. The reason I present this as such a trauma was due to the Before/After qualities it presented. Before I started attending school I was a very successful small person; I crawled and then walked and then ran, all according to schedule. I learned to talk, I learned to dress myself, I did well with spoons and forks. I was easy going and low maintenance. I was happy. After I was enrolled in school it was discovered I couldn’t adjust to the classroom. I wouldn’t follow the class structure. I score well on tests. I was a problem, to the teacher, the principal and my parents. This made me unhappy.

I tried, too. I tried so hard to listen to the teacher, and do what the other students were doing when they were doing it. I knew I was smart – I read easily and often, I colored inside lines, I memorized poems. But I couldn’t find a way to demonstrate this ‘smart’ in class. I would be coloring like mad, only to discover all the rest of the class was writing spelling words. I would read with great intensity only to be admonished because the class had put their books down, as directed, 10 minutes before. I would carefully describe the life cycle of tadpole to frog to a neighboring student, but it would get me a visit to the principal’s office because I chose to deliver a science lesson in the midst of a math test. Sheesh! I couldn’t do anything right!

It took me (and the school system) many years to figure out why I had such a hard time in school. This struggle to fit into the public education system and prove myself became my odyssey, and eventually, my career.